Return envelope



Sept, s, 1925.

w.' L. BQMGARDNER RETURN ENVELOPE Filed Jan. 4, 1924 Taj] WARD -L..15mmn-zlalanrual. I

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

WARD L. BUMGARDINER, or COLUMBUS, omo.

nETUnNnNvnLorE.

` Application led January`4, 1924. Serial No. 684,332.

To all' whom t may conce/m.' i

Be it known that I, VARD L.` BUMGARD- NER, a citizen of the United States of Amer-V ica, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Re turn Envelopes, of which the following is a.

specification.

My present invention relates generally to that class of envelopes designed to provide for the ready return of the original envelope by the original addressee to the original ad? dressor and my invention further and especially aims toward the provision of a return envelope designed for theoriginal mailing of small articles of merchandise, which will` enable the addressee to re-mail the envelope with minimum trouble and minimum eX- penditure of time and a still further object is the provision of anenvelope of this nature, the manner of manipulation of ywhich for remailingpurposes will be plainand easy of accomplishment without necessitating lengthy and complicated directions as regards folding or re-folding.l

In the. accompanying drawing which illustrates my present invention and forms a part of this specification, l

Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of the envelope embodying my invention and showing the closing flap in detachable connection with the body of the enevelope as in original mailing,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the flap ysealed in closed position with the original mailingextension removed,

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the envelope substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4c is a vertical sectional view taken centrally through a portion of the enevelope showing the flap as originally constituted, in released position,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the complete envelope taken substantially on line .5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4; with the original mail extension removed from the flap preparatory to re-inailing, and

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 7-7 of Figure 2.

Referring now to these gures my invention proposes an envelope of the character iirst above set forth, the body 10 of which is formed with horizontally overlapping portions lland 12 at the front thereof as'seen particularly by a comparison of Figures 3 and V5, the portion 12 being sealed upon Ithe outer surface of the portion 11 for part of the length of the envelope and having its re-` maining portion free adjacent to the open end of the envelope andvprovided with a longitudinal slit 13 spaced from and parallel with its free edge to form a tongue 14 extending toward the open end of the envelope and located adjacent thereto. This tongue 14 has a cross slit 15 whoseangular ends 16 in the disposition shown particularly in Figure 2 thus form a lip 17 project` ing away from the open end of the envelope.

The body 10 of the envelope also has a flap 18 bendable over its open end to close the latter and foldable forthis purpose with the front' of the envelope, the flap extending entirely from one side ofthe envelope to the other and being provided with a gummed inner vsurface 19 and an outer surface forming an address receiving space for the name and address 20 of the addressor in the original mailing adapted also to constitute the addresseewhen the envelope is Vre-mailed.

The fla-p 1S isnalso provided beyond its gummed and address receiving portion with an extension 21, detachable from the flap .itself by virture of ay perforate line 22 between the flap and its extension, said extension eX-` tending from one sideof 'theflap to the other and forming upon `its outer surface an address receiving space for the name and address of the addressee in the original mailing, indicated at 23 in Figure 1.

The flap 21 is also provided with a slot 24 pairall'eling and adjacent to its free end and located centrally between its sides, so as to receive therethrough the tongue 14 in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 5 in the original mailing of the envelope.

It is thus obvious that the envelope may. in view of the detachable connection between its flap extension 21 and the body of thel envelope in the original mailing be utilized to transmit small. articles of merchandise, the envelope being at this time unsealed. After the articles are placed within the envelope the flap 18 with its extension 21 is folded latwise against the front of the. envelope after lifting the tongue 14C so that the lfia-p and its extension are disposed benea-th the tongue, the latter beingr then bent and thrust inwardly and outwardly through the slot 24 of the flap extension 2l as shown in FigureI 5 until the lip 17 of tongue la is upwardly and inwardly beyond the slot 24 so that it may spring across the slot at the inner face of the flap-extension as shown in Figure 5 so as to thus prevent accidental withdrawal of the tongue 14. In this way the flap and its extension are detachably held, that is withoutsealing the envelope s0 that the merchandise is free of passage under the postal regulations, to the addressee `whose name appears upon the flap extension 21. Uponreceipt by the addressee it is simply necessary for the-latter, in order toV re-Inail the envelope, `for inst-ance with a. remittance enclosedto cover the cost of the merchandise, to withdraw the tongue 14, remove the contents from the envelope, place such matter within theenvelope as it is de-` sired to forward to the original addi-essor and then remove the flap extension 21 by detaching the same along the perforate line 22 and,` after pressing the tongue 14 flatwise beneath the flap 18, sealing the latter in closed position by virtue of its gumined inner surface 19.. f i i' It is obvious that upon removal of the flap extension 21 all reference to the original addressee is removed, there remaining upon the envelope merely the` name and address ofthe original addressor with the contents of theenvelope lsuch that it readily passes under the postal regnlations in a sealed condition.

I claim:

1. A return envelope of the character described having a body provided with horizontallyv overlapping portions and open atk one end, said overlapping portions being permanently connected for a portion of the length of the envelope and the outer overlapping portion having a free tongue adj acent. to and projecting toward the said open end and provided with a crossv Slot having angularends forming a lip projecting away from the open end of the envelope, said envelope body having a. flap foldable over the open end thereof and upon the front of the envelope and provided with an extension detachable therefrom and having a. slot through which the said tongue may be extended, the lip of the said tongue being adapted to extend across the. said slot of the extension in the connected position to prevent accidental withdrawal of the tongue.

2. A return envelope of thecharacter described having a body provided with horizontally overlappingportions and open at one end, said overlapping portions being permanently connected for a portion of the length 0f the envelope and the outer overlapping portion having a free tongue adjajacent to and projecting toward the said open end and provided with a. cross slot having angular ends forming a lip projecting away from the open lend of the envelope, said envelope body having a flap foldable over the open end thereof and upon the front of the envelope and provided with'an extension detachable therefrom and having a slot through which thesa-id tongue may be extended, the lip of the said tongue being adapted to extend acrossl the said rslot of the extension in the connected position toprevent accidental withdrawal of the tongue, said flap and its said extension having'ad dress receiving spaces upon' their outer surfaces and said flap having an inner gurnnied surface whereby it may be sealed across the front of the envelope after detachment of the said extension therefrom.

j In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

TARD L. BUMGARDNER. 

